Membrane-derived extracellular vesicles from endothelial progenitor cells activate angiogenesis

Abstract

The neoformation of blood vessels is a biological process involved in tissue homeostasis and repair as well as in pathologic conditions such as infl ammatory diseases and cancer. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) a cell population derived from the bone marrow and circulating in the blood stream, have been shown to take part to these processes. EPCs exert their effects mainly by the release of paracrine factors such as growth factors, cytokines and extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs are small particles released by different types of activated cells by a membrane sorting process. Recent studies identifi ed EVs as a new mechanism of cell-to-cell communication as they can mediate the exchange of receptors, proteins, bioactive lipids and nucleic acids between cells. EPC-derived EVs were shown to activate an angiogenic program in quiescent endothelial cells through an epigenetic reprogramming due to horizontal transfer of mRNA and microRNA. Whereas in the context of tumor neoangiogenesis this mechanism may be detrimental as it favors tumor vascularization and diffusion, in the context of regenerative medicine, EVs derived from EPCs can be exploited as potential therapeutic option to prevent ischemia-reperfusion injury.